She
is our homegrown international star, having embarked upon global tours and
collaborations with the likes of Paul Potts and P-Money.

Now
Waiariki Bay of Plenty Polytechnic (WBoPP) is offering a free behind the scenes
look into Lizzie Marvelly’s amazing career, though an exclusive Q&A session
with the acclaimed singer, set to be held at Mokoia Campus from
10.30am Tuesday, 30th of August.

A
perfectly timed insight ahead of her upcoming Rotorua concert, Marvelly is
excited to be able to pass on her international experiences in such a rare
hometown opportunity.

“I
love spending time with students and people who are passionate about the arts.
I’m hugely grateful for all of the support and mentoring that I received during
the early years of my career, so it’s an honour to be able to give back and
share knowledge with the Rotorua community’s artists of the future.

“My
hometown has supported me since I was a teenager, so it’s only fitting that I
pass on some of what I have learnt.”

WBoPP
music tutor, David Grindley says the workshop, which is one in a series of
similar professional one-on-one experiences set to be held at the institute in
coming weeks, is a rare “heads-up” for aspiring musicians to access someone who
has made it on Marvelly’s level and find out not only how she did it, but what
her journey was like.

“At
a local level, attendees are going to get an idea of what it is to start at the
beginning and go through the grass roots / local heart of the music industry,
as opposed to a corporate driven break though perspective.”

Fellow
music tutor, Ben Wilcock adds that the ability to learn alongside like-minded
people is also part of the event’s attraction.

“People
think of Rotorua as ‘sports and thermal’ but it’s actually a musical city. It’s
got a really strong musical history that is changing as our city is growing - live
music in Rotorua is growing. Things like this seminar and the musical
qualifications here at WBoPP fuel that industry growth and culture.”

“I
really think that learning and education is the key to opportunity. With
learning comes improvement, new realisations, personal development and
evolution,” says Marvelly.

“I
was privileged to learn much of my craft as a musician as a teenager, but they
are skills that I still call on today. Even now, with a few letters behind my
name (BA, ATCL, ASB), I still seek out learning opportunities whenever I can.”

The FREE Q&A with
Lizzie Marvelly is open to the public, however space is limited. Please RSVP to
Ben.Wilcock@waiariki.ac.nz to secure your spot.